Alcohol Abuse Facts and Information

"Does drinking strong coffee or taking a cold shower have an effect on the person who is drunk? The answer is yes - the result being an alert, cold, and wet drunk. Time, and only time can sober a person up."

"One study of U.S. Midwestern States found that 46 percent of ninth graders who reported drinking alcohol in the previous month said they obtained the alcohol from a person who was 21 or older."

"Research demonstrates that family factors, such as parent-child relationships, parental involvement, discipline methods, communication, and monitoring and supervision exert a substantial positive influence on the use and abuse of alcohol by youth."

"If you engage in frequent abusive and excessive drinking behavior and you seek professional treatment, your treatment team may administer a mental health examination to assess whether you have other conditions such as depression or social anxiety disorder. The reason for this is that various mental health issues often take place along with alcoholism and alcohol abuse."

"There are no quick fixes for drug addiction and alcoholism. Recovery is an ongoing process. The skills one learns during intensive drug addiction treatment must be integrated into everyday life and this takes time."

"Alcoholism research has shown that in order to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent person needs new ways of thinking and responding in order to deal with circumstances and difficulties that will arise."

"Several U.S. studies have shown that about half of alcoholics who have successfully undergone detoxification will relapse within 6-12 months. Remaining alcohol-free is a very difficult task for most alcoholics."

"To make the argument for alcohol abstention and pregnancy even stronger, according to recent U.S. alcoholism studies, women who continue to drink even small amounts of alcohol while trying to become pregnant, may reduce their chances of conceiving."

"American alcohol abuse researchers have uncovered the following factors that affect your blood alcohol level: how quickly your body metabolizes alcohol, how quickly you consume the alcoholic drink, how much food is in your stomach at the time you drink, and how strong the alcoholic drink is."

"According to the substance abuse research, children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to report academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both middle school and high school. By young adulthood, early alcohol use was associated with employment problems, other substance abuse, and criminal and other violent behavior."

"According to the research literature, in the U.S., alcohol is linked with an estimated 5,000 deaths in people under age 21 each year. This is more deaths than from all the illegal drugs combined."

"Alcoholics need to realize that treatment is difficult and sometimes painful, just as treatments are for other life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, but that treatment is the only hope for a cure."

"Alcohol abuse and alcoholism research has shown that everyone who experiences alcohol withdrawal symptoms needs professional treatment. As a result, alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal should not be done at home and instead need to be undertaken in a medical rehab or treatment facility."

"Codependency is defined by a group of symptoms that typically occur in those who live with someone afflicted with alcoholism or with some other addiction."

"As demonstrated by research scientists, drinking too much alcohol can cause mild neurological problems in anyone and that these problems can include insomnia and headache."

"In the U.S., alcohol abusers who require surgery also have an increased risk of postoperative complications, including infections, bleeding, insufficient heart and lung functions, and problems with wound healing."

"Research shows that drug treatment during and after imprisonment not only increases the number of people who are drug-free, but also increases the number of people who are arrest-free."

"Alcoholism research has shown that in extreme instances, when the alcoholic's well-being and health become endangered, a professional intervention may be seen as the best chance to "reach" the alcohol dependent individual. Even with such good intentions of those who care and with professional guidance, however, such forms of intervention can backfire and cause more problems than they solve."

"Alcoholism statistics demonstrate that you might think you can quit drinking at any time. Many people who have alcohol problems do quit for periods of days, weeks, or even months before they start drinking again. But unless you can consistently keep your drinking under control and not fall back into unhealthy patterns, you need professional help."

"Research demonstrates that work that is boring, stressful, or isolating can contribute to employees' drinking. Employee drinking has been associated with low job autonomy, sexual harassment, lack of job complexity, boredom, lack of control over work conditions and products, physical and verbal aggression, and disrespectful behavior."

"According to the alcoholism and alcohol abuse research literature on teens and alcohol abuse, more than two thirds of teenagers who start drinking before the age of 15 will also try an illegal drug."

"According to U.S. substance abuse researchers, addicts have a tendency to engage in various activities or to use particular substances as substitutes for more appropriate and healthy coping mechanisms when dealing with stress, anxiety, and with their everyday lives."

"A recent national United States survey of female college students found that 15% of them had been raped at some time since the age of 14. In 53% of these cases, the victim was drinking and in 64% of these cases, the offender was drinking."

"Interestingly, hangovers are generally more common in light to moderate drinkers than heavy and chronic drinkers, suggesting that binge drinking can be as threatening as chronic drinking."

"According to alcoholism research, there are higher rates of alcoholism in the unemployed, laborers, those of lower socioeconomic status, those that drop out of high school, those who entered college but failed to earn a degree, and those under more stress."

"There are many symptoms related to drinking problems. Alcoholism is considered a progressive disease, meaning that the symptoms and effects of drinking alcohol become increasingly more severe over time."

"It is estimated that in 1997, more than 30 million people in the United States and Europe suffered from chronic alcohol and drug addiction; approximately 22 million individuals with an alcohol addiction, 6 million individuals with a cocaine addiction and almost 2 million individuals with a heroin addiction."

"An estimated 19.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were current users of an illicit drug in 2003. This estimate represents 8.2 percent of the population."

"According to mental health and substance abuse experts, the finding regarding the relationship between alcoholism and depression and alcoholism is noteworthy because many people, including healthcare practitioners, tend to perceive depression and alcoholism as separate problems, when in fact, they are frequently associated with one another."

"In one U.S. study, the intoxication rate (.08+ BAC) for male drivers involved in fatal crashes was 25%, compared to 12% for female drivers."

"Since alcohol blocks emotional pain, it is frequently resorted to as a cover up during times of temporary or ongoing stress or grief such as that experienced with the loss of a loved one or relationship, unresolved family tensions, and chronic work stress."